Angiographic Predictors of Viability During Intervention for a ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Objectives: This study aimed to identify angiographic features that would predict myocardial viability after coronary intervention for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: This retrospective study included patients who attended Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between January and December 2019 with a STEMI. Results: A total of 72 patients (61 male; mean age = 54.9 ± 12.7 years) were included in the study; 11 patients had evidence of non-viability on echocardiography. There were 13 patients with viable myocardium and 3 with non-viable myocardium who had a myocardial blush grade (MBG) of 2 or lower. Similarly, 10 patients with viability and 1 with non-viable myocardium had thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow of 2 or lower in the infarct related artery (IRA). However, none of these were statistically significant. The TIMI flow in the IRA at the end of the procedure correlated with the MBG. Conclusion: There were no clear angiographic features during primary angioplasty that could predict myocardial viability.